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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30005460">Tradition In The Making</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Addictedshan/pseuds/Addictedshan'>Addictedshan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Fluff, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Post Episode: s02e08 Bad Call, TK Strand is a good boyfriend, Tags Are Hard, no beta we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:27:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,158</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30005460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Addictedshan/pseuds/Addictedshan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.”</p><p>TK repeated the mantra as he pulled the last grocery item from the bag. He tossed the bag aside and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He scrolled through for a few seconds before propping his phone up on the counter.</p><p>“I can do this.”</p><p>It’s not like he never cooked before. Although, his dad banned him from ever cooking again after the pancake incident in 2013.</p><p>-.-</p><p>TK attempts to make Carlos dinner when he gets an unexpected visitor,</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, TK Strand &amp; Andrea Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>500</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tradition In The Making</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first work :) I got this idea after watching the winter finale which was *chef kisses*. In the interrogation room, I thought Mr Reyes was about to comfort his son and give him a hug. Boy was I wrong </p><p>Anyways, I just had to at least try and write this. I don't know how yall do it. Writing is hard lmao.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.”</p><p>TK repeated the mantra as he pulled the last grocery item from the bag. He tossed the bag aside and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He scrolled through for a few seconds before propping his phone up on the counter.</p><p>“I can do this.”</p><p>It’s not like he never cooked before. Although, his dad banned him from ever cooking after the pancake incident in 2013. He never cooked after that, not that he cared much. He grew up with nannies who fed him until he was old enough to stay at home alone. Enzo used to cook for him most of his teenage years and after, he spent his time in the firehouse. And when all were unavailable, takeouts exist. He never thought he needed to learn how to cook. In all his relationships, his boyfriends were the cooks and he stayed out of the kitchen.</p><p>Until today.</p><p>He finally got the clear to go back to work. Throughout his recovery, he spent most of his time at Carlos’s place with Carlos hovering like a freaking mother-hen. Carlos stayed home a few days to monitor TK as TK was a so called ‘danger magnet’. TK secretly loved the attention even though he often grumbled but he hated that Carlos was missing work because of him. His head didn’t even hurt that bad. Carlos’s suspension was lifted as soon as the case was closed and he was commended by his captain and some coworkers in his department. His father being proud of him was the icing on the cake.</p><p>Carlos went back to work a few days ago and now finishing a case with his father. TK knew Carlos was trying his best, always wanting his father’s approval so he knows how stressed Carlos has been. They arrested the perps yesterday and finishing up paperwork today. Tomorrow, TK will go back to work and for everything Carlos had done for him, he decided to cook for him. Of all things.</p><p>Carlos never once made TK feel like he needed to cook. Carlos heard the horror stories from Owen and frankly, he enjoyed doing the cooking. Now, TK wants to repay that favor. He’s making lasagna…from scratch.</p><p>He asked Charles for the recipe. <em>“Are you sure you don’t want any help?</em>” Charles had asked him for the fifth time outside the restaurant.</p><p>TK tracked him down at the restaurant finishing a catering order and Charles who no doubt heard about how disastrous TK is in the kitchen was skeptical and kept offering help. TK did take the homemade sauce Charles offered though.</p><p>
  <em>“I got it Charles; I will follow the recipe to a tee, I promise.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Text and tell me how it goes.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Will do!” And with that, TK went off to the market.</em>
</p><p>Now here he is; about to make a dish for Carlos, the first dish in almost 8 years. Making omelettes and toasting bread doesn’t count.</p><p>“Flour, salt and eggs.” He read off the phone. “Okay, I can do this.” He grabbed one of Carlos’s aprons and pulled out a glass bowl. “Two and a half cups of flour. Easy enough.” He put the bag of flour on the counter and opened it. He scooped a cup of flour into the bag and into the bowl then another. As he added the last half, he smiled to himself.</p><p>He could totally do this.</p><p>“A pinch of salt.” He read aloud and his brows pinched. “A <em>pinch</em>? What the hell is a pinch? How much is a pinch? That’s not even a real measurement!” He groaned. “What if my pinch is bigger than his pinch?” He sighed leaning off the counter. “Alexa, how much is a pinch of salt?”</p><p>
  <em>“According to Blue Flame Kitchen, a pinch is generally defined as 1/16 teaspoon.” </em>
</p><p>“Oh great.” He rolled his eyes. He sighed reaching for the salt. “A pinch it said.” With his thumb and index finger, he took out some salt and into the bowl. “That better be enough.” He read the rest of the ingredients. “4 eggs. But first, create a well with the flour mixture.”</p><p>He mixed the flour and salt in, creating the well the recipe said. He grinned. He got this. He followed the recipe, cracking the eggs in a smaller bowl, adding it to the well and mixing until it’s no longer runny. He transferred it to a wooden board and began to kneed. As everything was coming together, he laughed to himself. It’s a small accomplishment but he’s proud of it.</p><p>After kneading for several minutes, he rolled the dough in a ball and wrap it in cling film to let it sit for about 30 minutes as what the recipe suggested. He snapped a pic of his work and sent it to Charles. As the minutes passed, he put away and clean up. Thirty minutes later, he was cutting 1/6 of the dough, lightly flouring the surface before rolling the dough until it is flat enough. Just one problem. He doesn’t know how to use the pasta machine.</p><p>“It shouldn’t be hard right?” It wasn’t but he couldn’t get it right after a few tries. He settled with glaring at the machine. The doorbell rang. TK stopped glaring at the machine to look at the door. He wiped his hands in a towel before heading over. The flour on his apron went unnoticed by him and he opened the door. His eyes widened like two saucers seeing who stood before him.</p><p>“M-Mrs. R-Reyes.”</p><p>TK is almost certain his heart dropped at the sight of the woman standing outside his boyfriend’s house. Carlos had told TK that his parents knew since the farmer’s market and Carlos had planned on having them meet soon. Carlos however never said anything about her coming over especially without him there.</p><p>“Hello TK.” She greeted with a big smile.</p><p>“Um hi Mrs. Reyes.” There he stood, covered in flour greeting the woman who he planned on wooing. Andrea eyes filled with mirth as she looked at his attire, TK followed her eyes and blushed in embarrassment. “I’m…cooking?”</p><p>“I’m sure you are. Can I come in?”</p><p>“Uh sure.” He stepped aside quickly letting her in. As he closed the door, he remembered the mess. “Sorry about…everything.” The only mess visible to her was a small trail of flour on the floor and on his apron.</p><p>“Nothing I’ve never seen before.” She said resting her purse on the couch before sitting down. “How are you by the way? I heard you took quite the hit after your team got into some trouble.”</p><p>“Ah yeah.” His hand went to the cut on his head. “I’m fine though, just a few stitches, nothing major.” And suddenly he remembered his manners. “Can I get you anything to drink? There’s ice tea.”</p><p>“Ice tea sounds great.” TK nodded his head already heading for the kitchen.</p><p>“Carlos’s shift doesn’t end until 7.” He told her.</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” </span>
  <em>So she’s here to see me.</em>
  <span> “So do you live with Carlitos?” She asked from the couch.</span>
</p><p>“No?”</p><p>“You don’t seem too sure of that answer.”</p><p>TK poured the drink in the glass and looked over to her seeing her already watching him. “I’m here a lot but not officially or anything.”</p><p>“Why not? I heard you’re pretty serious with each other.”</p><p>She heard. Must be from her husband who heard from Carlos. <em>Carlos talks about me</em>. “We haven’t talked about it.” TK made his way to the living room and handed her the drink. She took a sip and he stood there awkwardly.</p><p>“You said you were cooking.”</p><p>“Yeah. I’m making—or <em>attempting</em> to make lasagna for Carlos for dinner. He prefers when it’s done with homemade pasta and he hates using canned stuff.”</p><p>Andrea chuckled. “That’s how we did it at home. We make everything from scratch.” TK nodded. “Do you need help?”</p><p>He immediately shook his head. “I can’t ask that of you.”</p><p>“You’re not. I’m offering.” She stood up and was making way to the kitchen. “How far are you?”</p><p>“I’m trying to figure out the pasta maker. I’ve never used one before.”</p><p>“Come on, I’ll teach ya.”</p><p>Andrea asked for an apron and TK gave her one. He watched as she flawlessly worked the machine explaining as she went along. After a few tries, TK finally got a hang of it and she had moved on to cook the sausage and beef. Time passed and TK wanted to fill the silence. He rattled his brain to get a conversation going.</p><p>“I can’t cook.” She looked at him from the pot where she was adding the sauce Charles had given TK. “I never learned how to and my parents weren’t around much.”</p><p>“Your father is a fire captain, right?”</p><p>“Yea and my mother is a lawyer. Their whole lives were dedicated to their jobs.”</p><p>“You followed into your father’s footsteps just like my Carlitos.” TK nodded. “Why not your mother’s? Being a lawyer doesn't seem so bad."</p><p>“It's not. After they split,” <em>Getting too personal there TK,</em> “I spent most of my life with my mother and I kinda wanted to be like my dad so I went for it.”</p><p>“I think that’s why Carlitos went into law enforcement too. His father was always proud of his work and since he was a little boy, that’s what he wanted. To work with his dad.”</p><p>“Are they close?”</p><p>Andrea hummed. She added the seasonings to the pot. “Gabriel is a bit tough with him or he tries to be. One look at those eyes and he cracks. It happens all the time.” TK laughed. “How did you two meet?”</p><p>“On a call. I don’t know if you heard of the explosion that killed the past members of 126.”</p><p>“Dios, I saw it on the news. It was a nightmare.” “Yeah. The chief asked my dad to rebuilt the firehouse so he came down here.”</p><p>“And you came with him.” TK tilted his head running the dough through the machine one last time. “I was…uh…going through a lot and he thought I needed a fresh start. Carlos and I met on the first official day the station opened. We were on a call and a baby was stuck in a tree.”</p><p>
  <em>He’s an impressive guy. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He’s my dad. </em>
</p><p>That was the beginning of it all. TK remembered getting lost in those eyes. “It was crazy. We all went to dance that night.” He smiled at the memory. “It’s pretty great. Carlos asked me to dance. It’s one of my favorite nights here.”</p><p>Andrea covered the pot and turned to TK. “You two started dating after that?”</p><p>“Not exactly.” Why lie? “I wasn’t looking for anything at the time but Carlos…”</p><p>“He put his heart into everything.”</p><p>“Yeah. Before I came here, I was dating a guy for two years and I thought he was my soulmate. Turned out he was cheating on me or months and I…relapsed. Not my proudest moment for sure.”</p><p>She went silent for a while. “Most wouldn’t tell their boyfriend’s mother that after the just met.”</p><p>“Ah well, it’s not easy but it’s who I am.” He laid out the final sheet of dough. He pushed the machine aside and turned to the woman. There was no judgement on her face. “I was clean for years before that but that night, I just wanted to forget. I told Carlos…and he still wanted to stick around.” She smiled fondly.</p><p>“That’s my Carlitos. He sees the good in everybody.”</p><p>“Yeah. He stuck around and we were friends…more than but not quite there.” He sighed heavily. “He waited and I learned to open up myself to someone again. Now here we are.” She looked at him as if she’s trying to figure something out.</p><p>After a while, she spoke. “When he first came out, we never talked about it. We didn’t know how to and didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. We don’t normally talk about things like that and we chose to avoid it all together.” Her face was filled with regret. “I love my children with all my heart and I always will. I just want them happy and loved.” Her eyes filled with tears and TK did not hesitate to offer her comfort.</p><p>“Hey, he understands.” He told her. “I’m sure you have a lot to talk about but at the end of the day, you both love him and he loves you both.” His smiled. “And I’m actually very honored to be the first boyfriend Carlos takes home and hopefully the last.” Andrea laughed tearfully.</p><p>“I’ll take you up on that. I like you for him.”</p><p>“That’s good because I love him. A lot.”</p><p>She gave him a hug. “I’m happy for him, for both of you.” Andrea coached him through the rest of the cooking and he managed to convince her to stay for dinner and extended the invitation to her husband. It’s funny because he never got along this well with any of his ex-boyfriend’s parents before. Heck, he could count on one hand the amount of time him and Alex’s parents were in the same room.</p><p>Time passed and they ended up on the couch going over baby pictures of Carlos and his three sisters. He saw a picture of Carlos in a cowboy outfit on a horse and he made a mental note to ask him about it later.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>-.-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After hours of going over paperwork and reports, it was finally time for Carlos to go home. He hated paperwork more than anything and it felt like his eyes were about to fall out, not that he cared at this point. He just wants to go home and cuddle his boyfriend. He met up with his father in the elevator making small talk as they walked to the parking lot.</p><p>“See you at your place.” His father said as he opened the door to his truck.</p><p>Carlos stopped as the words registered. “See me at—Dad what?”</p><p>Gabriel closed the door to his truck and looked at Carlos as it started. “We’re having dinner at your place Carlitos. Don’t be late.” After a pointed stare, his father pulled out of the parking space. Carlos watched as the truck disappeared.</p><p>“Shit shit shit.” Carlos cursed digging his phone out of his pocket. He quickly called TK only for it to go straight to voicemail. “Dammit.” He got his key out and got into his car chasing after his father.</p><p>He pulled into his driveway just in time to see his father going inside his house.</p><p>By the time he opened the door to his house, TK and Gabriel were shaking hands sharing a laugh about something he didn’t hear. His mother walked around the two men spotting her son first. “Carlitos honey, don’t just stand there and not greet your mother.” He looked at them eyes widened.</p><p>TK had a big smile on his face which should’ve been considered a good sign but…they were all here. In his house.</p><p>And what is that amazing smell?</p><p>He finally moved once his mother made her way over to him giving him a hug. “TK and I made dinner and I must say, he worked very hard on it.”</p><p>“And I promise it’s edible. Mrs Reyes—<em>Andrea</em> made sure of that.” He corrected himself when she gave him a playful glare.</p><p>“Well son, go change so we can enjoy the food.” Gabriel rushed Carlos. Andrea chuckled walking over to her husband and guiding him to the kitchen, no doubt to help set everything up and give the two some privacy.</p><p>TK finally walked over to his boyfriend, greeting him with a quick peck. “Hi.”</p><p>“Hi?” Carlos squeaked out finding his voice. <em>“Hi?” </em></p><p>“Yes. What’s wrong with ‘hi’?” Carlos looked at his boyfriend incredulously and gestured at his parents in his kitchen. TK went ‘ooh’. “Let’s go upstairs.” Carlos nodded and the two made their way to Carlos’s bedroom.</p><p>“So,” Carlos started, turning to face his boyfriend as TK closed the door. "You cooked?”</p><p>“Your mother saved you from food poisoning.” TK joked. “I wanted to do something special for you so I was gonna cook. She came by and I invited her to stay.” He then frowned. “I should have asked first, I’m sorry.”</p><p>Carlos shook his head instantly. “No no, that’s not…it’s just…you just cooked?” TK nodded slowly. “My mother came over and you just <em>cooked.</em>”</p><p>“<em>Yes</em>. We talked too.” TK closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Carlos’s neck. “She wanted to know more about her son’s boyfriend and it’s safe to say she adores me. I should have texted or called but I was busy learning how to make my boyfriend edible food.” A soft smile found its way on Carlos’s lips. “I saw some pictures of baby Carlos who was adorable by the way.” And he groaned. So that’s the embarrassment you feel when your parents meet your partner. They already got to the showing baby pictures stage. TK leaned forward and kissed him. “Babe, it was great, I promise. We had fun. She even offered to give me cooking lessons. I couldn’t even work the stupid pasta machine.”</p><p>A laughed bubbled up and he threw his head back. “You cooked with my mother.” TK grinned. “I can’t believe this.”</p><p>“Well you better believe.” TK leaned forward claiming in a kiss and Carlos tightened his hold on him. “So, how was work?”</p><p>“I did paperwork most of the time, so boring.”</p><p>“Which also meant you were safe behind a desk." Carlos hummed and kissed him. It didn't take long for them to get lost in the moment. TK pulled away first. "I’m gonna go down before they get the wrong idea. Hurry up.” With one last kiss, TK left him to change. Carlos took a deep breath and sat on the edge of his bed. His boyfriend and his parents together? This was not how he expected it to go.</p><p>When Carlos got back downstairs, the table was already set with his father adding the last dish. His parents sat down, TK followed suit. Carlos regained mobility in his legs once again and sat next to his boyfriend. TK gave his thigh a squeeze and all remaining anxiety vanished when he looked up at his parents, both smiling at him. TK started talking. He wasn’t sure about what but his parents, especially his mother, got lost in the conversation.</p><p>He knew there's a lot to talk about but that's for later. For now, it can wait. Big changes are happening; a tradition is in the making.</p><p>Three of the people he loved most in the world are here; together.</p><p>Now <em>this</em>, this is something he could get use to.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>All mistakes are mine. Sorry about that.</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/addictedabbehh">find me on Tumblr</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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